Plain Box
by Meushell
Summary: SG-1 brings over an old box for the Tok'ra to analyze.


Title: Plain Box  
Rating: PG  
Author: Meushell  
Summery: SG-1 brings over an old box for the Tok'ra to analyze.  
Pairing: Malek/Aldwin  
Notes: I don't have access to my regular computer, which has halted my writing. (It's taking longer than I thought.) This is a short story for mine, and hopefully, yours amusement.

Per'sus stood up from the table as three very familiar men entered the room. He was a bit amused to see Jack, though his didn't betray his feelings. "General, you appear to be part of your team."

"Well, ever since you guys took Sam."

"She volunteered," Per'sus replied firmly, knowing that even after all these months, Jack was not happy with her blending. "From what she has said, her burns were quite serious."

"Yeah... Where is she?" The opportunity to see her was the only reason he had come with them.

"I believe she will arrive shortly. What has brought you to our tunnels?"

Daniel took over, gesturing to a heavy box that Teal'c carried. "We found a few of these on P3X-902. They don't have any marks..." A disappointment for Daniel. He had hoped to have something to translate when he first heard about the boxes. "...other than the lines. I believe those are a means to open the box."

"Malek may be able to help you," Per'sus replied. "You will find him in his quarters." He looked to the three as they expected him to either fetch Malek or find someone else to do so. "Do you not know the way by now?"

"We do," Jack replied slowly.

"Then find him."

Jack resisted frowning, finding this to be strange. They had never been told to go find a Tok'ra before.

"You can leave the box on the table," Per'sus added as they began to leave. "He would have you bring it out here anyway."

Teal'c set it down.

"Stay with the box," Jack ordered to Teal'c, not really wanting to leave it out of the sight of all three of them. "Sam would come here to greet us," he excused. "Daniel." He gestured before heading through the tunnels.

Per'sus glanced to Teal'c, not believing the Sam excuse. Jack wasn't fooling anyone.

_I thought Malek was asleep_, Einar, Per'sus' host, thought.

That almost made Per'sus smile. _He is._

_Then why did you send O'Neill to find him?_

_Because O'Neill will not be pleased about it, and the thought...amuses me._ It made him happy that Teal'c was left behind, as he knew the Jaffa would simply wake up Malek without a second thought.

Meanwhile, Jack was pleased that Daniel knew the tunnels better than he did. He generally didn't have trouble navigating, but for some reason, these tunnels tended to give him trouble. Everyone swore that they used the same basic layout, but it sometimes it seemed that the Tok'ra changed the tunnels between visits, and everyone was in on it except him.

"Are you sure these are his quarters?" Jack asked as they headed down a tunnel.

"Yes," Daniel replied, "and there is Malek..."

"Asleep." Jack added as he saw the Tok'ra in his bed. He glanced back to where they came. "He did this on purpose."

Daniel looked to Jack, lowering his voice. "Maybe Malek decided to take a nap without telling anyone."

"Oh, he knew." Jack frowned. "Wake him up."

"Why me?"

"Because Malek doesn't like me."

Daniel sighed before approaching, finding the Tok'ra on his side in a large bed that indicated his marital status. The Tok'ra wore nightwear that appeared to be a simpler, softer version of the Tok'ar uniform. He looked at Malek for a few seconds, unsure what to do, before clearing his throat. "Ahem."

Malek's eyes opened. "Daniel." He was in control.

"W-we found something you might want to look at. Per'sus told us to find you."

Malek partly sat up, his hair sticking out in various directions. Wondering who else was part of 'us,' he glanced towards his doorway with half open eyes. "Jack."

"Hello Malek... Up late?"

"Guarding at the surface on what you would call the night shift," Malek replied as he stood up, enjoying that Jack at least felt a bit bad for waking him. "Speak softly. My host is still asleep."

"How is Am-"

"Quiet," Malek's hushed voice was sharp. "You wish to wake him?"

"Tok'ra are more likely to wake up when you say their names," Daniel explained to a confused Jack.

"Oh. So when I want to talk to Sam, but Kela'an says she's asleep-"

"That's only happened twice."

"I can just keep calling her?" Jack continued.

"Well, I suppose you could, but do you really want to anger someone who's feelings are shared with Sam?"

Jack quietly admitted to himself that hadn't thought that far ahead. Even if the situation came up, he knew he probably wouldn't do it. Though he still wasn't used to Kela'an, if the symbiote said she needed her sleep, then it was the truth.

Not bothering to change or comb his hair, Malek left the room, having a good idea of where the artifact was. On the way, Daniel gave the backstory, though there wasn't much else to say. They suspected that something was inside, but none of their equipment could confirm it. Malek didn't know much about the planet, since he didn't know it by the name that SGC had assigned to it. Entering the Tok'ra briefing room, he found Per'sus and Teal'c had been joined by Sam and Aldwin. The sight of his husband made him smile.

"Sam." Jack's mood was suddenly elevated.

Malek sat down as Sam greeted Jack and Daniel. He pulled the device closer and slowly examined it. "It is similar to an item from Hersha society."

"Hersha?" Daniel questioned.

"An advanced society until they were wiped out by the Goa'uld." Malek grabbed a scanner that had been set down by Aldwin. As he moved it over the device, he felt his hair being patted down. He certainly didn't mind the comfort of Aldwin's hands, though he had to resist the temptation to just focus on that rather than the job.

"Do you know what it is?" Jack asked.

"I believe I do," Malek replied as he began working on the panels.

Jack waited, though the Tok'ra became quiet. After a moment... "Mind telling us?"

"Be patient." Malek alternated between scanning he box and fiddling with it. After several minutes, he opened the box to reveal nothing. "Hmm."

"What is it?"

"It is what you would call a puzzle box."

Jack frowned. "That's it?"

"You said you had others on Earth?"

"Yeah."

"The Hersha used these boxes to protect their money. I believe Hersha currency was...red dirt."

"Anything special about it?"

"It was red," Malek replied, enjoying the look of disappointment on Jack's face.

"I heard Anise mentioning their dirt once," Sam put in. "Those higher in society turned the dirt into bricks. They probably would have looked about the same as our normal bricks. Different sizes denoted different values."

Jack glanced between them before settling on Malek. "How did you open it?"

"Every box would has a different combination. I used the scanner to figure out each step. If you bring them here, I could open them for you." He felt hands pull away, and he looked up to Aldwin. "You stopped."

"Sorry." Aldwin went back to fingering his hair.

"Why is it so heavy?" Jack asked.

"Probably the same reason safes are heavy or bolted down," Daniel answered. "It may not prevent theft, but it does discourage it."

"Oh, uh, well, thank you," Jack added as he looked to Malek.

"Is there anything else?"

"No."

Malek stood up. "Well, another Tok'ra can help you if you bring the boxes. I would like to go back to sleep."

"Good night," Daniel said as he headed out.

"Sleep well," Teal'c added, having been told the whole situation about why Malek had been asleep.

Malek gave them half a wave before turning a corner.

"Did we just pretty much wake him up for nothing?" Jack asked.

"Indeed," Teal'c answered, while Daniel nodded.

"Perhaps you can use the trip to spend more time with Samantha," Per'sus suggested.

"That sounds good," Jack replied. "Sam?"

"Sure. There are some nice views on the surface."

Jack smiled. "I'd like that."

The End


End file.
